Populace in Focus - Brother Bobby!

Real Name: Robert Bajak

SCA Name and Title: Lord (Brother) Riobard Michel Padraig Timothy Seamus o'Suilleabhain, aka Bobby, aka “How did YOU get in here? Guards! Guards!” although I suppose that last part is really not a name.

Years in the SCA? All of them. Let's put it this way, Callidus and Brianna brought me into the SCA when the Hael was still part of the East Kingdom, and I got my AoA from Yngvar and Hodierna. Do the maths.

Persona? 10th century Irish monk, abbot of Saint Mago's-By-The-Bog (BINGO after vespers)

Group or Household affiliations if any: Lions Tower

Tell us a bit about your life outside the SCA:

I am happily married to the lovely and talented Lady Muirenn of Wintersedge, who is a saint in my eyes and has the voice of an angel. I've been an IT professional most of my adult life. Currently I work on the IT Service Desk for Moog. I'm also a worship leader at Gowanda Free Methodist Church. I have two rescued Pitbull mixes named Dobby and Ginger. My main hobbies are music, 3D printing, and robotics. 

What SCA activities do you participate in? 

Over the years, a little bit of this and that. I'm currently sidelined from heavy, but hope once my legs heal, I can condition and squeeze out one more season of sweating in armor.

Tell us a little bit about your SCA experience (offices, etc):

I've been a royal and baronial bard. I was herald for the former canton of Winter's Edge.  I've autocratted, cooked, trolled, field heralded, retained, entertained, fought heavy, and have made a ton of excellent friends across the Known World.

What are your goals in the SCA? 

To be infamous and legendary, and to be welcome in every Kingdom and camp.

If you could accomplish only one thing in the SCA in the year 2018 what would it be?

To learn calligraphy.

What advice would you give to a new person in the SCA, or if new yourself what question would you ask and who would you ask it of? 

Youngster, concentrate on having fun, making friends, helping others, and learning new things, and the SCA will be the best thing that ever happened to you.

If you magically woke up with an SCA talent you do not already have what would it be?

I would like to be able to forge blades.

Additional comments as you see fit:

I have many Favorite Quotes that are period. Here are my top three,

Hildegard von Bingen: “When the words come, they are merely empty shells without the music. They live as they are sung, for the words are the body and the music the spirit.”

The Saga of Grettir the Strong: “A tale is but half told when only one person tells it.”

`Alī ibn Abī Ṭālib, Caliph: “The nourishment of body is food, while the nourishment of the soul is feeding others.”

Thanks to all the Blog Contributors!

Hey Blog team! Last weekend at the College of Three Ravens the M&M blog was unexpectedly honored with a nomination for "Best Blog" in the 2018 William Blackfox Web Awards. While the certificate does mention Miriel and Myself, more importantly it mentions the Barony. Honestly this Blog would not happen if not for the many contributions from all of you. We share this with all of you and hope you are as proud as we are!

More about the William Blackfox Awards: 

http://www.sca.org/officers/webminister/blackfox-web.html

http://www.sca.org/officers/chronicler/blackfox-awards.html

Wolfgang’s Crusader Ale, and other anachronistic brews - Remembering a friend

In memory of THL Wolfgang Starcke - a brewer, a teacher, a barkeep - the Æthelmearc Guild of Brewers, Vintners, and Meadhers is hoping to assemble a SCAdian brewing book. Of you we ask to please share with us your recipes – help us remember Wolfgang as we hope he would appreciate.

The general idea is to collect recipes and anecdotes (preferably anecdotes to go with the recipes) from all the brewers and others that Wolfgang and his brews have influenced over the years. We're hoping for a mix from the lowliest Pennsic utility brew to the loftiest of documented Ice Dragon entries.

Show us your recipes, show us your memories, show us your photos, sketches and illustrations. Share what you know he liked, or not, or what you think he might appreciate. Help make Wolfgang an even more lasting presence in our community, and an inspiration for those who come after – now, as well as in life.

The Kingdom of Æthelmearc Brewers Guild has dedicated a page (also found via the Events & Activities tab) to this endeavor at:

http://brewers.aethelmearc.org/cookbook.html

You can use the link at the bottom of the page to enter your submission, including contact information, your story or anecdote, historical inspiration, if applicable, and modern recipe. For your inspiration, and to take a sneak peek at previous submissions, we chose to offer you the option of viewing previous submissions. How the final Brew book will look like depends on the type and volume of submissions: so let's all pull together and aim for something BIG!

Yours in Service,

Elska, Maggie Rue and Madoc Arundel.

Announcing the Golden Bee Herald!

Please accept our apology for taking so long to announce this. Just before Summers End 2017 Master Dagonell Collingwood approached Her Excellency and I with the idea of recognizing one of our populace, THL Eleanore Godwin, for her hard work as a submission Herald. The submission herald is responsible for managing the submission process for names and armory (devices). Her Excellency and I, having worked with Eleanore locally, agreed completely. In our opinion, the names and devices people choose is an important part of a person’s sense of belonging to our Society. Often it is one of the first things a person participates in when they join the society, and the Heralds that assist with this are on the forefront of the participation. They are as much a part of making new members feel welcome as a Chatelaine or demo coordinator. Eleanore is a perfect example of this and she is often assisting people not only behind the scenes but at practices an events.

Instead of one of the many Baronial or Kingdom awards (of which she has many) Dagonell suggested we name her Baronial deputy position as “Golden Bee” Herald in her honor. While the title holds no precedence, and will move from Eleanore to the next deputy, we felt it was a fitting way to recognize her hard work and dedication. This was announced in court at Summers End and she was presented with a heraldic tabard as a symbol of her office. Please take a chance to congratulate her and thank her for her work when you next see her.


Magnus and Miriel

Populace in Focus - Cacht inghean Cheithernaig & Joshua Mullett

Real Name:  Caroline Kearney & Joshua Mullett

SCA Name: Cacht inghean Cheithernaig. Joshua is still working on his.

Years in the SCA: Caroline has been in for 7 years, and Josh 7 months.

Persona: Caroline has a Celtic persona and Josh is Japanese (or thinks that's what he wants to do).

Tell us a bit about your life outside the SCA:

Caroline: I have a wonderful boyfriend named Josh Mullett and a great job at Whole Foods. I have a 5 year old daughter.

Josh: I work as a chef in training and hope to become an electrician. I have a two and a half year old black cat named Raiden and a bearded dragon named Falcor.

What SCA activities do you participate in?

Caroline: Archery, and an interest in fencing. I like to do sewing and fiber arts.

Josh: Archery,  and still trying to find a balance with mundane life

Tell us a little bit about your SCA experience (offices, etc):

Caroline says, "I've been a part of the SCA for 7 full years and I am now starting my 8th. I try to bring new people to the SCA and generally feel welcomed and accepted in a loving environment". Josh added, "I’ve attended a Coronation and the Hornwood archery festival. I also attend fight practices. I’m glad that I started participating in the SCA".  Both commented, "I really like being a part of the SCA. Not once did I feel unwanted or out of place. I felt like I was among like-minded individuals".

What do you both hope to accomplish in the SCA in 2018?

Caroline wants to start fencing. Josh hopes to improve his archery, meet new friends and go to as many events as possible. Josh also commented, "Get my SCA name and device approved".

What advice would you give to a new person in the SCA, or if new yourself what question would you ask and who would you ask it of?

Both agreed, "Just have fun and enjoy it there are many opportunities Don’t be afraid to try new things".

If you magically woke up with an SCA talent you do not already have what would it be?  

Both again agreed, "I'm not entirely sure I'm still learning what I can bring to the table".

Populace in Focus - Baroness Rosemund von Glinde

Real Name: 

Wendy Hart

SCA Name and Title:

Baroness Rosemund von Glinde

Years in the SCA:

I joined back in 1991 or so, took a break for a while, so I’m not sure how you count the years…

Persona: 

13th Century German

Group or Household affiliations if any:

Tribe of Tuatha Fieren

Tell us a bit about your life outside the SCA. 

I’m an underwriting assistant for an insurance wholesaler, and I do inspections.  It’s SO much fun!  A lot of solving mysteries. I grew up in Western New York, and outside of a few month of living in Australia, I’ve always been here.

What SCA activities do you participate in? 

Scribal, siege weapons, cooking, thrown weapons.

Tell us a little bit about your SCA experience (offices, etc): 

I was the exchequer  for  the Hael, a VERY long time ago, oh, and I was the 5th Baroness of the Hael…and I LOVED it!

What are your goals in the SCA? 

No stress, have fun, learn new things that grab my attention, as they come along, help new people as much as I can.

If you could accomplish only one thing in the SCA in the year 2018 what would it be?

It’s GOING to happen!  I’m going to put on armor and fight in battles at Pennsic, doing siege weapons! I NEVER thought I’d say THAT sentence, EVER….LOL!

What advice would you give to a new person in the SCA, or if new yourself what question would you ask and who would you ask it of?  

There are NO expectations here. The only expectations are the ones you impose upon yourself.  If you want to become a peer, go for it!  If you find the prospect of being an “authority” in anything intimidating, then no worries.  Do what makes you happy, and the rest will fall into place.  There is a niche for anyone and everyone in the SCA.

If you magically woke up with an SCA talent you do not already have what would it be?

Metalworking.  I would love to be able to take a piece of stainless steel, and form it into a beautiful coronet or crown.

Additional comments?

I’m always available for anyone to come and ask questions-if you see me at an event, by all means, don’t be afraid to come up and say hello, and ask me how something is done.  If I don’t have the answer, I’ll certainly point you in the direction of another gentle who does.

Populace in Focus - Lady Artemisia da Manarola

Real Name: Autumn Diana Standingwolf

SCA Name and Title: Lady Artemisia da Manarola

Years in the SCA: Nearly 5 years

Persona: Cortigiana Onesta – Italian Renaissance

Group or Household affiliations if any: None

Tell us a bit about your life outside the SCA:

I’m as diverse a person as my AncestryDNA profile suggests. I speak French poorly but enjoy my immersion visits to Montreal immensely. A love of Early Music and Renaissance Faires led to an obsession with all things Irish (Great Big Sea!). While I’m as comfortable on stage belly dancing as I am on the back of a dog sled (actually canine bike-jor), I’m often hidden behind the scenes running things but you're most likely to find me in line for a large double-double.

What SCA activities do you participate in?

Dance, Fiber Arts (on my own), Making Largess, Service.

Tell us a little bit about your SCA experience (offices, etc):
I’m the Dance Mistress, Web Minister, and I’ve run a demo. I’ve participated in several demos outside of the Hael, and one demo outside of Aethelmearc.

What are your goals in the SCA?

I’d like to show people the Arts (& Sciences) in action. I’d love for people to see things being made. I have plans to host Courtesan Style Salons in which the arts are very prevalent. I’d love to perform music for the Hael’s events (when I’m skilled enough). I’d like to provide all manner of entertainment. I also want to advocate for those who feel uncomfortable or lost.

If you could accomplish only one thing in the SCA in the year 2018 what would it be?

Get the combined Hael-Thescorre dance practice up and running with lots and lots of people.

What advice would you give to a new person in the SCA, or if new yourself what question would you ask and who would you ask it of? 

Take your time and explore everything that interests you. Also, learn how to behave in Court. Make sure someone tells you how to address people and when to bow and kneel. If you know all of that it will make things so much easier!

If you magically woke up with an SCA talent you do not already have what would it be?

While I really wish I could understand the secret language of the Heralds, if I had to choose one thing, it would be to be able to illuminate things. I can barely draw stick figures.